Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship

10/26/2026

Hailing from nearby Cheltenham in Montgomery County, Wyatt L. joined the Fashion + Entrepreneurship Summer Camp to learn how to translate his lifelong love for fashion and textile design into a viable business model.

"I’ve been interested in fashion and textile design since forever and I’d love to eventually start my own brand, so taking this camp gave me insight into the business side of fashion... My group’s fashion brand was named Fuku, it was a denim company that customizes your jeans with your design using high-quality materials. It was aimed to target creative minds who cannot find clothes to express themselves." — Wyatt L.

Throughout the week, Wyatt and his team tackled market research, material quality considerations and target audience alignment to build Fuku - a custom denim concept designed for self-expression.👖

At the Close School, we are proud to empower the next generation of Greater Philadelphia founders by equipping local high school students with the tools to turn their passion into action.

Tap the link in our bio to learn about the Fashion + Entrepreneurship Summer Camp
Explore future pre-college programs at Drexel: https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/academics/pre-college-programs/entrepreneurship-bootcamps

Drexel Westphal College of Media Arts & DesignLeBow College of Business - Drexel University Drexel University DrexelOne

10/22/2026

Do you have ambition, but don’t know where to put it?

Startup Fest 2026 is the perfect place to begin. At Drexel, we value nourishing our students by not only providing them a well-rounded education, but giving them places to put their skills to use in order to build them a brighter future. Where academic rigor meets entrepreneurial drive. Startup Fest is a place you can go to culminate new ideas, test your pitch skills, and search for your next mentor or co-founder.

Stop dreaming, start building. Stay tuned for the full programming reveal.

LeBow College of Business - Drexel University DrexelOne

10/21/2026

"You have to get out there and build it."

Isaac breaks down the heart of the Forging Founders documentary series - taking your raw ideas, putting them to the test, and leveraging the Drexel ecosystem to turn passion into impact.

Stop waiting for the "perfect" time. The best launchpad is right here.

Read the full story of the documentary series he created during his co-op with Dr. John H. Wilson on our blog.

10/19/2026

If you’re preparing to pitch at Startup Fest ’26 - or just want to master the art of concise pitch messaging - join us for our next Close Conversations session: Pitch Perfect Pitch Clinic!

Get hands-on tips and real-time feedback from experts like Associate Teaching Professor Dr. John Wilson and Entrepreneur-in-Residence Don Milley. Learn how to structure your hook and communicate your value in a winning 2-minute pitch.

🍕 Bonus: Free pizza and salad will be served!

📍 Where: The Baiada Conference Room (Pearlstein Building, 4th Floor I 3230 Market Street)

📅 When: Wednesday, October 20 I 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

RSVP, link in bio!

10/16/2026

New partnerships. Bigger platforms. Unmatched opportunities.

Startup Fest 2026 is coming, presented in collaboration with the LeBow College of Business. Whether you're launching a venture or eager to learn from those who have, this is an event you cannot afford to miss. Follow along as we prepare to release our full event lineup.

LeBow College of Business - Drexel University DrexelOne

10/15/2026

Attention Drexel Founders: Up to $25,000 in startup awards is up for grabs this term!

The Drexel Startups Fund offers more than just capital - it provides the runway your startup idea needs to scale. Supported by the Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship and funded by alumni, this twice-yearly competition offers non-dilutive grants, expert mentorship, and access to investor networks.

The Fall 2026 Timeline:

📥 Oct 18 (11:59 p.m. ET): Applications Close

📣 Oct 27: Finalists Announced

🏆 Nov 6: Final Presentations at Drexel Startup Fest

Whether you’re in engineering, computing, health sciences, design, or business - if you are a student founder or recent graduate (within 1 year), you are eligible to apply.

Submit your application on StartupTree before Sunday's deadline! https://baiada.startuptree.org/competitions/462



DrexelOne LeBow College of Business - Drexel University

10/07/2026

When rising high school senior María O. came to Philadelphia from Tampico, Mexico, she was looking to explore career paths in the fashion business. What she learned was a crash course in real-world venture creation!

"Standing up to speak in front of people you've never seen before was nerve-wracking, but as the days went on, we became this tiny little family. For our project, my team and I created a sustainable, affordable and inclusive jewelry brand called Helumana... We created prices based on how much we spent on labor and materials while still gaining enough revenue. This project felt very realistic, including prices, yearly gains and an ask to the sharks at the end." - María O.

Working alongside her teammates, María helped design, cost and pitch Helumana, a sustainable, affordable jewelry line complete with material research, labor cost breakdowns and revenue projections for a live shark-tank style pitch. 🦈

Our pre-college programs empower young minds to step outside their comfort zones, master collaborative teamwork and build real confidence before making their college decisions.

Tap the link in our bio to learn about the Fashion + Entrepreneurship Summer Camp
Explore future pre-college programs at Drexel: https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/academics/pre-college-programs/entrepreneurship-bootcamps

LeBow College of Business - Drexel University Drexel Westphal College of Media Arts & Design Drexel University DrexelOne

10/02/2026

Looking to scale your startup? 📈 From global accelerators to massive investor networking events, these major funding and pitch opportunities have application windows open through the fall.

Swipe to see what's coming and start prepping your application:
🌟National AI Healthcare Competition - A national healthcare innovation competition for students, clinicians, engineers and self-taught builders. [Apply by Nov 1]
🌟Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) Winter 2027 Cohort - A four-month NYC-based accelerator. [Apply by Nov 2]
🌟Y Combinator Winter 2027 Batch - $125K for 7% equity plus a $375K SAFE. Free. [Apply by Nov 2]
🌟TigerLaunch 2026 - The world's largest student-run entrepreneurship competition, organized by students at Princeton. [Apply by Nov 9]

Click the link in our bio to grab the application details and give your venture the edge it needs!

Drexel University DrexelOne LeBow College of Business - Drexel University

09/24/2026

The Close School is proud to join the LeBow College of Business in bringing you Startup Fest 2026. Join us for a gathering of student founders, industry leaders, and forward-thinkers shaping the next generation of enterprise. Mark your calendars and prepare to step into the world of change. More details arriving soon.

Register now: https://baiada.startuptree.org/events/1219

LeBow College of Business - Drexel University Drexel University

09/22/2026

Learning shouldn't wait until college. 💡

When Sakurako F. traveled all the way from Tokyo, Japan, to join our Fashion + Entrepreneurship Summer Camp, she wanted to experience an American university classroom, explore sustainable fashion marketing and test her business skills on a global stage.

"The professors were passionate about teaching us what entrepreneurship truly means... During the public speaking course, my team proposed a custom graphic jeans brand based in New York. Before this program, I was not confident speaking English in front of a large audience. This experience became a valuable opportunity for me to improve not only my English communication skills but also my presentation skills and confidence in taking on new challenges." - Sakurako F.

By the end of the week, Sakurako and her team built and pitched a custom graphic denim brand concept, gaining real-world market insight and building public speaking confidence along the way!

At the Close School, our pre-college programs are designed to give high school students a taste of applied, hands-on learning long before they set foot on campus as freshmen.

Tap the link in our bio to learn about the Fashion + Entrepreneurship Summer Camp: https://startersreview.com/create-it-brand-it-pitch-it-inside-drexels-fashion-entrepreneurship-summer-camp/

Explore future pre-college programs at Drexel: https://www.lebow.drexel.edu/academics/pre-college-programs/entrepreneurship-bootcamps

Drexel University LeBow College of Business - Drexel University

09/16/2026

When Doug Ulrich (MS ’25) was looking at grad programs, he knew he didn't want to just sit in lectures reading case studies. He wanted a program where he could grow his social media marketing agency while making a noticeable impact in his day job in higher education.

He chose the MS in Entrepreneurship and Innovation—focusing on corporate entrepreneurship—to get practical tools he could use immediately. The results speak for themselves: a 10% jump in his department's social media engagement in under a year, plus major local partnerships for his own brand with Wawa, Herr's and the Phillies.
Read how Doug used his time at the Close School to elevate his career and scale his platform.

Full feature: https://startersreview.com/building-the-local-economy-one-post-at-a-time-with-doug-ulrich/

LeBow College of Business - Drexel University Drexel University

09/11/2026

Plug into the future.

The Close School of Entrepreneurship, in partnership with LeBow College of Business, is bringing Startup Fest 2026 to Drexel this November. A showcase of bold ideas, technology, and student entrepreneurship. Speaker announcements and schedule drops coming soon.

Register now: https://baiada.startuptree.org/events/1219

LeBow College of Business - Drexel University Drexel University

09/10/2026

“Biomedical engineering taught me how systems work and how to build them. Being involved with entrepreneurship and faculty mentors has taught me impact – how to turn those technical systems and ideas into a reality that’s actually transferable to real people.”

For Ireoluwa Otegbade, a fourth-year student in Drexel’s B.S./M.S. Biomedical Engineering program, that meant turning a personal challenge into a business. After seeing how time-consuming and expensive textured hair care could be, she and her co-founder began developing a solution that could simplify the routine by bringing four products into one.

With guidance from Close School associate teaching professor and faculty advisor Scott Quitel, Ireoluwa turned that idea into TOZ Hair Care, refining the business model, launch plans and pitch along the way. The venture went on to become a Top 25 Finalist at e-Fest®️ 2026 and took home First Place in the Brand Builder Award, earning $5,000 in equity-free funding.

“I learned at e-Fest that building a business takes more than just you. It takes mentors, community and people willing to step in and help carry your vision forward.”

From a family solution developed at home to a nationally recognized startup, Ireoluwa’s experience shows what can happen when students have the mentorship, resources and opportunities to turn an idea into something real.

Read the full story: https://startersreview.com/how-drexels-toz-hair-care-won-big-at-e-fest-2026/

Drexel University LeBow College of Business - Drexel University

09/01/2026

Big ideas. Bolder pitches 🎤

That’s a wrap on the Fashion + Entrepreneurship Summer Camp! These talented campers spent the week building fashion concepts from scratch, crafting mood boards, defining target audiences, and pitching their original brand ideas to a panel of judges. Watch how far they've come!

Drop a 👏 in the comments to congratulate these bold future fashion founders! 👇

08/28/2026

When Biomedical Engineering student Ireoluwa Otegbade and CTO Izzy Passero set out to redefine textured hair care, they didn't just build a product - they engineered simplicity into multi-generational hair routines.

Guided by Close School Associate Teaching Professor Scott Quitel, the team behind TOZ Hair Care turned a family remedy into a nationally recognized venture. That dedicated mentorship and strategic pitch preparation paid off on the national stage: TOZ Hair Care advanced to the Top 25 Finalists at e-Fest® 2026 and took home First Place for the Brand Builder Award ($5,000)! 🏆

"Biomedical engineering taught me how systems work and how to build them. Being involved with entrepreneurship and faculty mentors has taught me impact - how to turn those technical systems into a reality that is actually transferable to real people." - Ireoluwa Otegbade

At the Close School, our faculty don't just teach business - they serve as active partners, advisors, and advocates for our student founders.

Read the full feature on TOZ Hair Care's national win on our blog ⤵️

https://startersreview.com/how-drexels-toz-hair-care-won-big-at-e-fest-2026/

LeBow College of Business - Drexel University Drexel University

Drexel biomedical engineering student Ireoluwa Otegbade turned a family hair care solution into TOZ Hair Care, a nationally recognized venture simplifying textured hair routines. With support from the Close School, TOZ advanced to the Top 25 at e-Fest® 2026 and won First Place in the Brand Builder ...